UK gamers eager to get their hands on the new PlayStation 4 console will begin queuing up in central London from tomorrow morning.

The games device is officially launched in the UK on Friday, but Sony has announced those who have not already pre-ordered a console will be able to buy one at a midnight launch event being held at the PS4 Lounge #4ThePlayers event in Covent Garden.

Launch day pre-orders for the console sold out in August. The consoles available at the PS4 lounge will be on a first come, first served basis from midnight and are tipped to be the last opportunity to have one before Christmas without preordering.

Gamers queuing for their consoles from Thursday morning will be treated to a performance by rapper Tinie Tempah and will be given Domino’s Pizza and Red Bull to keep their energy up during what will be a long wait.

Sony UK & Ireland managing director Fergal Gara said the event was a ray of hope for gamers who did not preorder.

“We really wanted to offer some way for people to buy on launch day, and this is a fantastic opportunity for anyone that hasn’t already pre-ordered to get their hands on a PS4 on day one,” he said.

“The excitement in the run-up to our UK launch has been phenomenal, and we want to thank gamers for their support by giving them the chance to take a PS4 home at the earliest opportunity.”

Martyn Gibbs, CEO of retailer GAME, said the excitement for the PS4 launch was “absolutely massive”.

“We’re stepping into the next generation of gaming and this really is a fundamental shift for the industry,” he said.

“The PS4 launch is going to surpass anything Playstation has done before – our pre-order numbers are around four times higher than the PS3 and we’re seeing those numbers grow every day.

“We’re delighted that we are able to bring additional last-minute stock to the UK market and keep delivering for the UK gaming communities and we can’t wait for the official launch.”

The PS4 is being marketed as 10 times faster than its predecessor, the PlayStation 3, which was released in 2006.